Whilst we were in Portsmouth at the weekend, we stumbled upon the new Mary Rose museum which opens today, 31 May. We are absolutely going back for a visit once it’s open. The building satisfies my inner building geek but notice someone has graffiti-ed it already, which is just ridiculous. I first thought it was on my photo, but no- it’s definitely on the building.

Eek- this draft from Friday (which was scheduled to go live at 07:00 on 31 May) never went live. Better late than never.

Wow. One whole month of blogging every day, I think I need a breather! Seriously though, while there have been times when the very last thing I’ve felt like doing is blogging, knowing I’ve committed to the challenge has kept me going when I’ve felt like flagging, and although the topics have taken me outside my comfort zone, I’ve discovered things to write about that I may never have considered before the challenge.

I’m so pleased with the contribution the challenge has made to my blog. It has really kick started it and given me a lot of new ideas as well as enthusiasm. But, I have to say that the best thing has been the sense of support from others in the blogging community. I’ve discovered some fantastic new blogs, and hope that we all keep in touch with each other’s blogging exploits long after May comes to a close. We may no longer be blogging every day, but let’s all keep the enthusiasm and creativity flowing.

So here are a few shout outs to a few people who have been engaging with my blog and have subsequently got me over reading theirs:

One final thank you really must be for Elizabeth at Rosalilium for organising this whole thing. It has been so worthwhile and is very much appreciated- I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. If you’re reading this and are new to Rosalilium, head on over- you’re in for a treat.

This is a really interesting topic, and one which I would never otherwise have thought about blogging about. In terms of who I find inspiring, it isn’t particular people, but rather their qualities which I think are inspiring. These qualities make me wish that I at least share some level of these strengths, but if not it is at least something amazing to work towards. Here are a few of the things that really mean something to me in other people.

Compassion– It is so easy not to care. This is a quality I wish I had more myself and is something I really should work on.Enthusiasm– Nothing inspires me more than someone talking about or doing something with genuine love and enthusiasm.Motivation– We all struggle to stay motivated from time to time, but some people just seem to always be charging ahead and persisting. Big respect. I like to try and be one of those people, but find it hard to persist sometimes.Passion– I find people who truly love what they do and want to share their passion with others extremely motivating. In a previous job, one of the directors really, really cared about what they did and how their role could help others. She is one of the strongest women I’ve come across in a business and because of her determination and passion, I built up a huge amount of respect for her.Commitment– This is a big inspiration to me. Some people can be half-hearted when they want something, but to work at it, stay focussed and committed is a huge inspiration.Determination– Pretty similar to the above, but sometimes sheer determination is what is required to reach a goal. I am sometimes really bad at this.Kindness– I like to think this is a quality I have a little of, but can hugely work to be better.Empowerment– of self and others- It is one thing to be empowered yourself, but to inspire others to be so is going that one step further. This I find particularly inspiring in relation to women’s rights and is something I see in strong female role models.Positivity– Do you ever come across those people who are just always positive and never seem to have a down day or anything bad to say? Whenever I encounter people with such a positive outlook on life I can’t help but feel admiration for them. It is so easy to have a glass half empty attitude at least some of the time and having people who are positive around you really keeps you thinking positive yourself.

This post represents day thirty of Blog Every Day in May #BEDM with Rosalilium

Good morning. I hope you are all having a good Thursday. Just a quick post to let you all know that Tales from The Finch’s Beak is now available to follow on Bloglovin- click here: Follow my blog with Bloglovin. This gull thinks you should.

If you’re new to Bloglovin- sign up, it’s fab. It’s a really easy way to follow all your favourite blogs in one place. They will even send you a daily email with all the updates if you like.

During a trip into town on Sunday for the farmers’ market, we stopped by Char (Winchester’s tea shop) so the boyfriend could choose some tea samplers for our next Tea tasting. I have to say I was seriously surprised by how into the idea he got, and we came home with 4 samples chosen by him, plus a big bag of Winchester Afternoon and another couple of samples I fancied trying. Considering when we first got together, he was a milk and 3 sugarskind of guy (he’s now weaned himself down to just the one teaspoon of the sweet stuff), I am astounded that he chose teas to drink black!

This week’s tea? Golden Nepal- chosen by Chris as he liked the name and the fact that the label said it was rare. We enjoyed this on a picnic rug on the balcony in the sunshine from our new teapot and in bone china teacups.

They say: The small tea plantations in Nepal are still owned by families who produce their tea by hand. At altitudes of 1000-2000 meters, these fine teas are produced in very small growing areas. The result is a mild and very aromatic leaf tea with a striking, medium-sized well worked leaf and many tips. It is a tea of prime quality, soft with a light, smoky sweetness and round spicy bouquet. Unfortunately only available in small quantities but secured for you by Char.

I say: This was lovely and not really a tea I’d have chosen myself. I feel a bit scared by blends of black tea as I feel I don’t know enough about them to be able to decide and so tend to veer towards flavoured black teas or herbal blends instead. This was gorgeous. I wouldn’t want to drink it every day as it would lose it’s magic I think. This was a very clean, fresh tasting tea with no hint of the bitterness that can come with drinking teas black. Definitely one for a special occasion. Or just another afternoon in the sun.

The boy says: I found it really refreshing and a light tea. It had no biter aftertaste and was even nicer on the second cup.

Oh, and in the evening we sampled Winchester Afternoon. We’ll need another couple of cups of that one before we deliver a verdict!

Better late than never, here’s what I’m lusting after this week. Inspired by the Monday moodboard over at Mollie Makes, this weeks is camera themed- all links to source are found by clicking the images.

I can survive leaving the house without breakfast and even without washing my greasy hair on the days when one more press of the snooze button is must. But the one thing I cannot do without in the morning is a cup of tea. At weekends, I can be a coffee girl, but on a work day there is nothing better to start the day with than a steaming hot cuppa.

I will freely admit that there are many mornings where I have little more than a slurp from the mug before abandoning the rest, brushing my teeth and flying out the door, but somehow even just that one sip makes all the difference to my day.

So there you have it. My morning ritual. Tea. Mine’s milk, no sugar and preferably made in a teapot.

This post represents day twenty nine of Blog Every Day in May #BEDM with Rosalilium

I am getting a little obsessed with taking my camera everywhere with me at the moment. The boyfriend is not loving being neglected for the camera, but I am really enjoying being back into my photography. At the weekend I enjoyed having a play around with my circular polarising filter. I have this one from Hoya and I love it. It makes an already blue sky look intense.